This invention relates generally to improvements in water coolers of the type having a water reservoir for receiving and storing a supply of relatively purified water or the like, and for selectively dispensing the water from the reservoir. More particularly, this invention relates to an improved water cooler wherein the reservoir is quickly and easily removable from a water cooler housing, and transportable as a portable unit to a location remote from the cooler housing for use in remote dispensing of chilled water or other selected beverage.
Bottled water coolers are generally well-known in the art for containing a supply of relatively purified water in a convenient manner and location ready for substantially immediate dispensing and use. Such bottled water coolers commonly comprise an upwardly open water reservoir mounted within a cooler housing and adapted to receive and support an inverted water bottle of typically three to five gallon capacity. Water within the inverted bottle flows downwardly to fill the cooler reservoir within which the water is commonly chilled by appropriate refrigeration means to a selected and refreshing temperature. The water within the reservoir is dispensed for use through a faucet valve located typically on the front of the cooler housing. When the inverted bottle reaches an empty condition, the empty bottle is removed from the cooler and a filled replacement bottle is installed onto the cooler in an inverted orientation. Such bottled water coolers are widely used to provide a clean and safe source of water for drinking and cooking, especially in areas where the local water supply contains or is suspected to contain undesired levels of contaminants.
In some water cooler designs, water is supplied to the cooler reservoir from a source other than a removable inverted water bottle In one configuration, the cooler reservoir is coupled to an incoming tap water supply from which contaminants are removed by appropriate purification devices such as a reverse osmosis purification unit. Alternately, or in addition, one or more filtration units including carbon and/or other suitable filtration media may be used to produce relatively purified water delivered to the cooler reservoir for dispensing on demand.
Bottled water coolers of the above-described types, however, are not portable in nature. That is, the cooler housing and the associated refrigeration and/or purification/filtration means are not readily and conveniently transportable from one location to another for use in on-demand dispensing of clean chilled water or the like at different sites. Instead, when the bottled water cooler is set up and operating at a particular installation site, it has been necessary for individuals to be located at the site of cooler installation in order to access the water or other selected beverage contained therein.
The present invention relates to an improved water cooler of the general type described above, but wherein the cooler reservoir is designed for quick and easy separation from the cooler housing and is transportable as a unit to a different location whereat the water contained therein can be dispensed for use.
In accordance with the invention, an improved water cooler is provided with a removable reservoir which can be separated from a cooler housing and transported as a portable unit to a location remote from the cooler housing for use in remote dispensing of chilled water or other selected beverage. The removable reservoir comprises an insulated vessel to maintain the water therein in a desired chilled condition for a substantial period of time following separation from the cooler housing. Upon completion of reservoir usage at the remote location, the cooler reservoir is designed for quick and easy re-installation onto the cooler housing for resumed normal use.
The removable reservoir is adapted for normal and removable mounting onto the cooler housing in thermal communication with a chiller element for maintaining the water or other selected beverage within the reservoir in a chilled condition. The insulated reservoir is further equipped with a dispensing faucet for beverage dispensing. The reservoir is designed for quick and easy lift-off separation from the cooler housing and may include a convenient carrying handle to facilitate transport thereof to an alternative location remote from the cooler housing. In one preferred form, the removable reservoir is adapted for normally supporting an inverted water supply bottle for replenishing the reservoir as water is dispensed therefrom. In another preferred form, the removable reservoir is adapted for receiving water inflow from a tap water source or the like, and may include a filter unit for purifying water added to the reservoir.
In a preferred configuration, the removable reservoir includes a generally cup-shaped mounting sleeve formed in a bottom wall thereof in a downwardly open position for slide-fit reception of an upstanding chiller probe when the reservoir is normally installed onto the cooler housing. The chiller probe comprises a portion of a refrigeration system for chilling the water or the like within the reservoir. Upon lift-off separation of the removable reservoir from the cooler housing, a portable refrigeration unit such as a re-usable and freezable packaged chiller media of the type marketed by Rubbermaid, Inc. of Wooster, Ohio under the trade name Blue Ice can be seated within the mounting sleeve to maintain the reservoir contents in a chilled condition.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.